WWll Munitions Found By Children In Germany

November 18, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Three children in eastern Germany have fished rusty World War Two shells and bullets out of a pond using a powerful magnet, without injuring themselves.

They called police when they made their discovery near the town of Ohrdruf.

Police cordoned off the area, urging the public to report any such finds immediately and leave the munitions alone. It is not clear why the ammunition had been dumped in the pond.

Unexploded WW2 bombs are often found in Germany, prompting mass evacuations.

Alleged War Crimes To Be Investigated By ICC

November 18, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The International Criminal Court could open its first investigation into the British military following a programme about alleged war crimes.

Panorama found evidence the state had covered up killings of civilians by UK troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ICC said it took the findings very seriously. The MoD has said the allegations are unsubstantiated. The MoD said it had co-operated fully with the ICC and saw no justification for further interventions by the court.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the allegations against the MoD are "untrue".

School Shooting In California Leaves Two Students Dead

November 15, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Two students, aged 16 and 14, have been killed and three others injured by a gunman who opened fire at a secondary school in California, officials say.

The victims died in a brief, 16-second gun attack shortly before classes began on Thursday at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. The attack came on the 16th birthday of the suspect, named by US media as fellow student, Nathaniel Berhow.

The suspect then shot himself in the head and is in a critical condition.

Hostages To Be Released In Exchange For Taliban Prisioners

November 13, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Afghanistan is to release three high-ranking Taliban prisoners in exchange for two hostages held by the group, President Ashraf Ghani has said.

American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks were lecturers at the American University of Afghanistan when they were kidnapped in 2016.

Anas Haqqani, a leading figure in the Haqqani militant group, and two other senior commanders are part of the deal. It is unclear how or when the exchange of prisoners will take place.

Hong Kong Demonstrator Shot By Police

November 11, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Two people are in critical condition after another day of violent demonstrations in Hong Kong.

A protester was injured on Monday morning when he was shot at close range by a police officer. He was the third person shot by police since the protests began 24 weeks ago.

Later on Monday a pro-Beijing supporter was doused in flammable liquid and set alight after arguing with protesters, who are demanding greater democracy and police accountability in Hong Kong.

Separatists Kill 15 People In Thailand

November 7, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Suspected separatists have killed at least 15 people and injured four in southern Thailand, in one of the country's worst attacks in years.

Police officers were among those killed at the attack on a security checkpoint in Yala province.

The attackers used explosives and then scattered nails on roads in an attempt to slow down people chasing after them. Thousands have been killed in southern Thailand since a separatist insurgency gripped the region in 2004.

The attack took place on Tuesday night - Yala is one of three provinces in the region that have often been hit by violence.

Police Officers Injured On Bonfire Night

November 6, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Six police officers have been injured after they were targeted on Bonfire Night by groups of people throwing fireworks and setting bins alight.

Dozens of officers in riot gear were deployed in the Harehills area of Leeds when the chaos broke out at 20:20 GMT. Fifteen "local males", aged between 11 and 23, have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, West Yorkshire Police said.

The force said offenders were "naive to think there will not be consequences".

US Citizens Murdered In Mexico

November 5, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

At least nine US citizens, three women and six children, have been killed in an attack by suspected drug cartel gunmen in northern Mexico.

The security minister said the group could have been targeted accidentally as a result of mistaken identity.

Sinora state in northern Mexico is being fought over by two rival gangs, La Línea, which has links to the larger Juárez cartel, and "Los Chapos", which is part of the Sinaloa cartel. Family members who have spoken to the New York Times newspaper said two of the children killed were less than a year old.

Terror Threat In UK Downgraded

November 4, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The UK's terrorism threat level has been downgraded from "severe" to "substantial", the Home Office says.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the UK is still at "a high level of threat" and an attack could "occur without further warning".

The terrorism threat is now at its lowest since August 2014. Substantial is the third of five ratings at which the threat level can stand. The separate terrorism threat level for Northern Ireland remains "severe".

Ms Patel said in a statement on Monday that terrorism remains a "direct and immediate" risk to the UK's national security.

Chief Coroner: Possible Terror Targets Must Be Reviewed

November 1, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The government should review how public spaces are assessed as possible terrorism targets in the wake of the London Bridge attack, the chief coroner for England and Wales has said.

Eight people were killed in 2017 when three men drove into pedestrians on the bridge before stabbing others nearby. Judge Mark Lucraft said the system for triggering extra security measures was "too rigid". Families of the victims welcomed his "extensive" report.